


Lessons of a Soldier

by Morgyn Leri (morgynleri)



Series: Herald - Soldier - Priest [1]
Category: Highlander
Genre: GFY, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-05
Updated: 2011-06-05
Packaged: 2017-10-20 04:12:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/208609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgynleri/pseuds/Morgyn%20Leri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It will have to be enough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lessons of a Soldier

The slave he's been given as part of the gifts for his good service to the emperor is little more than a boy now, but he knows he'll be more some day. He can feel it, a faint hum in his bones that sets his teeth on edge when he first meets him, though it fades much like the stronger thrill of an Immortal does after time spent in their presence. So instead of putting the boy to work in one fashion or another, he adopts him as a son and teaches him as he might such.

He teaches him the skills of a soldier - horse, sword, javelin. The boy takes to them like a fish to water, and with such joy that for a while Haerviu worries he won't be able to pull him away for other studies. Still, it's these skills that will keep his head on his shoulders later, and will give him an occupation when Haerviu has to leave this life.

To the skills of a scribe, he takes with less enthusiasm, though he has a knack for spoken languages that surpasses Haerviu's own. But still, he learns to read and write in the Latin that is the language of the empire, and to speak the languages that Haerviu teaches him. Dutifully and as quickly as he might in order to return to those lessons he favors.

There are other skills he would be well to learn, but he is reluctant to learn to sew or to cook, beyond what Haerviu points out are necessary if he's to be a soldier. To care for his armor, and the tack of his horse, so he need rely on no one but himself.

When Haerviu takes him to hunt, he's as eager to learn that as the skills of soldier. Less enthusiastic about learning to find plants that are edible as well, but he applies himself to those lessons as dutifully as to those of language. It is not as much as Haerviu would hope, but it will have to be enough.

And soon, too soon, it will truly have to be enough, as he returns to the legions with his adopted son at his side. Here, there are no assurances, and when he falls to a barbarian sword, he can only hope the boy has learned enough. He cannot even stay for his own funeral, slipping away with nothing more than his sword and such simple clothing as could be from anywhere.

He leaves behind a gift for his son, a sword he hopes will keep the boy company for centuries to come. It will have to be enough.

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt **Gift** (#363/1000)


End file.
